NO WAY UP! / THE INSIDERS

by Lindariel

 Expansions of two of my Altered Episodes submitted for CABB’s
April 12th Challenge

Original Episode Title: No Way Down
New Episode Title — No Way UP!:

The elevator in Catherine’s apartment building is broken, and the repair is estimated to take at least a week, if not longer. What a great reason to spend a week living Below – with Vincent! 

Original Episode Title: The Outsiders
New Episode Title – The INsiders:

Mouse and Jamie work quietly behind the scenes to make sure Vincent and Catherine finally get some much-needed time alone together. 

* * *

Author’s introductory notes:  This story is the 17th in my Beauty and the Beast AU series, which picks up after the Season 2 episode “A Kingdom by the Sea” and then goes in a different direction.  No Hollow Men, no Paracelsus abducting and then masquerading as Father, no mental breakdown for Vincent, and most importantly, Catherine is never abducted by Gabriel (I deal with him in other ways) and therefore DOESN’T DIE! And Elliott Burch doesn’t die EITHER!!

My previous stories for this AU in chronological order (15 are posted under the name Lindariel across both versions of CABB Tunnel Tales and on Archive of Our Own; and two will appear in the 2025 conzine) are The Last Straw …?, Pay It Forward, Arthur’s Gift, The View from Here, Do You Happen to Have the Time?, A Fine and Private Place, His Own Kind of Nobility, Walking Unfamiliar Ground, Songbirds of North America, A Second Harvest, A Late Harvest, What Cuddly Beast, The Ache for Home, Blame It on the Mets, Sunflowers for Thankfulness, and A Special Surprise (which is a glimpse into the future). What Cuddly Beast and The Ache for Home will appear in the July 2025 conzine. This story falls right before the epilogue section of The Ache for Home.

For readers who are jumping in with this story:  Stan Kaczmarek is Elliott Burch’s birth name. After his father was murdered in A Kingdom by the Sea, Elliott basically hit rock bottom, did a lot of soul searching, and decided to “go back to the beginning” to figure out where he went wrong.  He put his business in escrow, took back his birth name, moved into his Dad’s ratty apartment close to the docks, took a job as a longshoreman, and started over. Finding new meaning in some volunteer work at a local soup kitchen, Stan then runs into a desperate Kipper on the street who is being chased by some gun-toting goons because Kipper saw them transporting women being trafficked into the commercial sex business. They escape, go to the police, and Catherine is called in to help talk to the eye-witnesses.  In the process of getting Stan and Kipper to a safe house, the three are attacked and escape into the Tunnels, where Stan/Elliott finally meets Vincent, the man who won his Cathy’s heart. Stan’s experiences in the Tunnels and his growing fondness for Kipper, who reminds him of a young Stosh Kaczmarek, help provide him with a new direction for his talents, wealth, and ambition – a complete reimaging of low-income housing.  In concert with his former adversary Luz Corrales, the activist who helped bring down his Burch Tower project, Stan establishes the Mathilde Kaczmarek Innovations in Housing Foundation, named after his late mother. Stan is in the process of applying to become Kipper’s legal guardian, and he recently found a great building on Hobart Street for Catherine to buy and turn into a residence Above that Vincent can much more safely access. In this story, Vincent is recovering from a fall suffered during The Ache for Home. Oh, and you can learn more about Catherine’s rescue kitten Lucky inWhat Cuddly Beast. Enjoy!

* * * * *

Tuesday morning, after meeting with Herb Stanfield’s attorneys to finalize the sale of the Hobart Street building, Catherine and Stan Kaczmarek shared a cab downtown to drop Catherine at the DA’s office and Stan at the new headquarters for the Mathilde Kaczmarek Innovations in Housing Foundation at his Juniper Street location.

“Well, Cathy, how does it feel to own a building?” Stan grinned as they settled their respective briefcases in the back of the cab.

“A little overwhelming,” she replied, puffing her bangs back off her forehead and leaning back into the upholstered seat with a sigh. “I’m so glad we had those meetings with Albert Johnson and his son Marlon over the weekend.  At least I have a building manager and a security team to put in place, as well as good leads on building maintenance staff. Those will be my first phone calls this morning, so we can get the building secured. And I’m so happy that Marlon not only agreed to come on board as my building manager, but also expressed interest in moving into the second-floor dormitory space. I’ve asked him to meet with us sometime this week, so we can adjust the floor plan for him.”

Stan nodded. “It shouldn’t be difficult to allot some additional space for a desk with a security monitor for his room. That way, he can easily check in with the staff and cameras even when he’s not on duty, if necessary.”

Soon the cab pulled up in front of the DA’s office. “Wish me luck,” Catherine chirped, as she gathered her belongings. “I’m about to inform Joe that I’ve bought a building and that I’ll soon need additional time off for the move.  He’s not gonna like that. I’m already working just half-days this week so I can help look after Vincent.”

“How’s his recuperation going?” Stan inquired.

“Well, he’s restless, as you might imagine,” Catherine replied. “Being stuck on bed rest for an entire week so his hip can heal is a tall order for a man who’s accustomed to hard work and staying constantly busy. I’ve had Father reassign some morning classes to keep him occupied while I’m at work. Then in the afternoons and evenings, we’re pretty busy with planning for the renovation and the move.  He’ll be happy to hear that the sale went so smoothly.”

“Give him my best,” Stan urged. “I’ll probably pop in for a visit this evening when I meet with Kanin, Cullen, and Mouse to organize the renovation crew now that we have taken possession of the site. If you don’t mind, I’ll hang onto the keys until we get the security team in place later today, and then I’ll turn them over to Marlon. Good luck with Joe!”

* * *

At 1:00 pm sharp, Catherine happily exited the DA’s office building and flagged down a cab to go back to her apartment. She hummed lightly as the driver easily negotiated the post-lunch hour traffic, smiling to herself. Joe had been shocked at first by her news, but surprisingly understanding and easy-going about her request for additional time off for her planned move in another two weeks.

“Radcliffe, if anyone deserves some time off to launch a new phase in their life, it’s you,” Joe had observed with a grin and a hug. “Let me know if you have any trouble setting up that legal aid clinic. Who knows? I might want to do some pro bono work myself. Luz Corrales sure could use some extra help with her tenants’ rights lawsuits. That sounds right up my alley.”

Both Catherine and her cabbie were a bit nonplussed to find the block in front of her apartment building almost completely double-parked with two rows of cars and taxis. She jumped out a block further up and walked back to her apartment to find both Freddie and Hank busily assisting their tenants with luggage for what appeared to be a mass exodus from the building.

“Freddie!” Catherine called. “What’s going on?”

“Hi, Ms. Chandler!” Freddie responded. “I’m afraid we’ve got a major elevator problem. Both cars and the freight elevator have to be taken out of service for a huge overhaul and repair. The service company estimates we’ll be without elevator service for at least a week, probably more like ten days. Lots of people on the upper floors have decided to either get a hotel room or visit with family. The owners association is offering some compensation for the inconvenience, and I’ve called in some extra guys to help bring luggage down the stairs. My apologies, but you’ll need to take the stairs up to your apartment. I know that’s a hike! Call me if you need help with anything, and I’ll send someone right up.”

As Freddie hurried off to help another tenant, Catherine puffed her bangs off her forehead and headed for the stairwell, except, instead of starting up the stairs to her apartment, she slipped down into her basement storage area, and off into the Tunnels.

She arrived at Vincent’s chamber to find Father cuddling her little calico rescue kitten Lucky while discussing how the morning’s lessons for the children went and enjoying an afternoon visit.

“Well, hello to my two favorite guys and my precious kitty!” she called from the doorway, setting down her briefcase and purse, giving Father a kiss on the cheek, Lucky a quick pat on the head, and Vincent a slightly lingering kiss on the lips. “How is our patient coming along?”

Father laughed and colored just a bit after witnessing the kiss for Vincent. “As always, Vincent is healing remarkably quickly. He had far less pain and more flexibility today when we put his hip through the range-of-motion exercises. I suspect he’ll be able to try some crutches for brief periods of time early next week.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Catherine exclaimed as she softly finger-combed Vincent’s bangs out of his face. “And how were your morning lessons with the children?”

Vincent gently grasped her hand, kissing her fingers in thanks. “All went well. The children have adapted easily to having their lessons here in our chamber, thanks to the folding chairs Mouse brought in and the lap desks you provided, My Love. And how did your busy morning go?”

“The closing on the Hobart Street building went through without a hitch,” she responded. “Everything has been signed and notarized. I’m now officially the owner. Stan will be meeting Marlon Johnson at the building this afternoon to hand over the keys and get the security team in place. He’ll be coming by this evening to pop in for a quick visit with you and then meet with Kanin, Cullen, and Mouse to get crews organization for the renovation of the residence. Jim Kaplan, the Helper from Warren Elevator Solutions, will meet the crew at the building tomorrow to start extending the private elevator into the access tunnel. They did such a great job with the extension of Stan’s private elevator at the Juniper Street building, so they know exactly what we’ll need.”

“And what did Joe Maxwell have to say about your acquisition and plans to move in a few weeks?” Vincent asked, as Father handed Lucky over to occupy her favorite spot on Vincent’s chest, her low purr soon filling the room.

Catherine laughed. “Joe was actually very supportive. He had no problem giving me time off whenever I need it for the move, and he’s thinking about doing some pro bono work for Luz’s tenants’ rights lawsuits through the legal aid clinic.”

“How marvelous!” Father exclaimed. “Having you and Mr. Maxwell doing some work from the clinic will give the enterprise an extra boost to its reputation. You should be able to attract some good attorneys in no time.”

“Luz has already put out feelers with the local Bar Association,” Catherine responded. “I do have a tiny problem that I hope can be easily solved with your help. It seems the elevators in my apartment building are completely out of service for repair over the next week or ten days, so it’s not really feasible for me to get ready for work at my apartment. If it’s all right with both of you, I’d like to extend my stay Below until the elevator repair is complete.”

Vincent immediately spoke up. “Of course, you’re welcome to stay with me here in OUR chamber as long as you like.”

Father noted Vincent’s raised eyebrow in his direction and immediately chimed in, “Yes, yes, Catherine. This is your home Below. You’re welcome here anytime.”

“Thank you so much!” Catherine enthused. “Father, would you please arrange for someone to meet me at Peter’s house in two hours to help me bring my bags Below? My doorman and his team will find it odd if I try to take suitcases down into the basement, and I’d never be able to sneak by them. They’re up and down the stairs constantly helping other tenants who are leaving to stay with family or in hotels. The best I can hope for is to have them help me get the suitcases into a cab. I figure heading for Peter’s house makes the best sense. I do have a key.”

“Certainly! I’m sure I won’t have any problems locating volunteers,” Father replied.

“Mouse and Jamie will help!” blurted a familiar voice from the chamber’s access tunnel. Mouse peeked his head inside the door, followed by Jamie.

“Sorry, we didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Jamie added with a blush. “We came to visit a bit with Vincent after his morning classes and overheard some of your conversation. We’d be happy to meet you at Peter’s Tunnel entrance, Catherine.”

Father waved a hand nonchalantly in the air. “Problem solved!”

* * *

On their way to meet Catherine at Peter’s basement threshold, Mouse noticed that Jamie’s brow was furrowed, like she was thinking really hard about something important.

“Jamie want to talk?” Mouse asked, reaching out to smooth the familiar creases above her nose. “Jamie thinking. I can tell.”

Jamie laughed and took Mouse’s hand to encourage him to continue walking.

“I was just considering ways that we could help Vincent and Catherine have more privacy while she’s staying Below this week,” she replied.

“Have door for privacy,” Mouse responded. “Door shut, means don’t come in.”

“Yeah, but then people use the knocker anyway,” Jamie answered. “Privacy isn’t really privacy if you keep getting interrupted by constant rapping.”

Mouse thought for a moment. “Could take off door knocker, maybe?”

Jamie laughed, “Then they’d just rap with their knuckles, Mouse. No, I was thinking maybe we could find some way to redirect people elsewhere.  Like a sign or something. The problem with that is some of the children don’t read well enough yet.”

“Maybe make a picture of Vincent sleeping?” Mouse suggested. “Put it up right under the first torch in his access tunnel. Can’t miss it.”

Jamie stopped and gave Mouse a big hug. “That’s a PERFECT idea!” she enthused. “No one wants to disturb Vincent if he’s resting, especially while his hip is healing – not even Father. Vincent and Catherine can take the sign down when it’s time for his morning classes with the children, and then put it back up when they don’t want visitors.”

“OK good, OK fine,” Mouse mumbled into Jamie’s ear and then burrowed his face into her hair to give her a sweet kiss on her neck.  That quickly morphed into a for-real kiss on the lips and a soft moan before Jamie pulled back and took his face gently into her hands to deliver a series of quick kisses on his nose.

“Later,” kiss, “Catherine,” kiss, “Pri-va-cy,” kiss.

“Pri-va-cy,” Mouse agreed with a grin, taking Jamie’s hand to continue their walk.

They found Catherine already waiting for them at Peter’s threshold, grinning a bit sheepishly at two suitcases, a garment bag, and a makeup case piled at her feet.

“I know, I know,” she declared before they could even comment. “It seems like a lot, but I had to pack work clothes to last me at least two weeks, and I’m expected in court this week. I did limit myself to outfits that would work with just three pairs of shoes.”

Jamie laughed, “Just three pairs of shoes, huh? You’re slumming!”

Catherine blushed. “Well, I do have a fashion reputation to uphold after all.”

Mouse pointed to the pile of suitcases. “Mouse take two suitcases. Jamie and Catherine take garment bag and case?”

Jamie patted his shoulder. “We’ll start that way and swap off as we go. How about that?”

Soon the three friends were on their way back to the Hub. After chatting a bit about Catherine’s adventure helping her doorman to lug all of her cases down eighteen flights of steps and out to a waiting cab, Jamie broached the idea of creating a sign to help the Tunnel family know when NOT to knock on the door to Vincent and Catherine’s chamber.

“I think that’s a terrific idea, Jamie,” Catherine said. “And I know of a certain talented artist who’s currently bedridden and bored out of his skull.  This will be a great project for Vincent while he’s recovering.”

“Put picture in frame with a lanyard hanger. Put up hook under the first torch in access tunnel. Mouse can do that easy-peasy,” Mouse declared. “Even little kids can understand picture means Vincent sleeping, don’t knock.”

“Well, I told Vincent a while ago that he needs to set up office hours,” Catherine replied. “This will be the perfect solution.”

They found Vincent dozing, his current book dropped on the floor, an empty teacup that once held Dr. Wong’s special chamomile tea blend on the side table, and Lucky cuddled up at his side. Jamie and Mouse quietly helped Catherine set her suitcases and garment bag over by the wardrobe and tiptoed out, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

Having Catherine with him Below after his injury was a tremendous comfort and delight for Vincent. But their new living situation, with Catherine preparing Below for her work at the DA’s office in the mornings brought a new sense of domesticity as well as other surprises. In the past, he’d had the occasional opportunity to experience some sense of her morning preparations anytime he tuned into her feelings while she got ready for work. But witnessing Catherine’s beauty routine in the flesh was an entirely different matter.

When Vincent had awakened from his nap, he’d been a bit amused watching Catherine unpack two weeks’ worth of business suits, blouses, hosiery, shoes, undergarments, jewelry, toiletries, makeup, and accessories into their chamber, which was already somewhat crowded with a lifetime of his personal acquisitions. Mary quickly offered to help, and she and Catherine spent the late afternoon consulting with him on which of his heavier/warmer items could be temporarily put in storage to make room in the wardrobe to hang up Catherine’s office attire. They also worked with his consent to rearrange his desk and relocate some of his collectibles to give Catherine a temporary dressing table.

Clearly, I need to rethink the arrangement of this chamber so Catherine will feel completely at home Below in the longer term. After all, once the Hobart Street residence is ready, our goal is to live together equally both Above and Below. Adjusting our chamber to suit Catherine’s needs will be a happy project when I’m well enough to move around.

Then, there had been the challenge of setting up Catherine’s lighted electric make-up mirror on Vincent’s desk and finding some way to plug it into the power supply Mouse had arranged for the lamp that illuminated the stained-glass window over his bed. But Mouse was up to the task, temporarily removing the fuse for Vincent’s electrical circuit so he could safely splice in a new outlet to service Catherine’s make-up mirror. It was astonishing to see the different qualities of light this mirror could provide at the flick of a switch so Catherine could suit her makeup to various lighting situations. The fluorescent office light setting was particularly harsh and blinding. Goodness!

But watching Catherine’s evening and morning preparations was especially engrossing, sometimes astounding (the eyelash curler made him wince, and the mascara wand startled him until he saw it in use), but more often … sensual. The transformation from her fresh-faced beauty into the elegant, patrician attorney was nothing short of magical to him. Catherine had always claimed to have little artistic ability, but her makeup skills proved to be their own form of art, and his second nature wasted no time in telling her so. “You are a painter, My Catherine, and your face is the canvas.”

While his injury prevented them from taking any further steps toward consummating their union, nonetheless, their nights together were a continuing revelation through the gentle intimacies of sharing touch and taste, sound and sight. Every night, he floated away into sleep on a cloud of bliss, knowing he was learning more and more about his Catherine with every touch.

And under the first torch in Vincent’s access tunnel, standing silent guard over their private space, was Vincent’s framed drawing of his own face, fast asleep with little Zzzzzs escaping his mouth and one large word printed underneath –

SSSSSSHHHHH!